Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Unplugging from the Net

I'm leaving the internet for a year | The Verge
Am happy that the writer is trying out this experiment of staying offline, but I suspect most of us would not be able to do it.

Not because we're addicted, although this is one factor, but because our work requires us to use the Internet, e.g. to be contactable via email.

I would like to try a lite-version of this experiment though. Deleted my Facebook account once, but had to restart it for work purposes. Perhaps I can start with rationing usage.

Transformers Prime



The cartoon graphics may look quite kiddy, but the plotline and action are not. Great storytelling, and quite a bit of severed metal. Worth a watch in my view. Am on to Episode 5 already.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Text is the easy part

The Verge at work: sync your text everywhere, never lose an idea again | The Verge
Of the solutions mentioned, I use Simplenote and Dropbox regularly.

As highlighted in this blog post title, syncing text is relatively easy compared to syncing all kinds of information, from office documents to PDF files, and finding them using a good search function.

Am trying to use Evernote more often, especially as a quick way to save webpages. Google Docs (now incorporated into Drive) does provide a good search within PDF feature.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

HTC ChaCha - My fight against full-touchscreen phones

Long story short, I bought a 2nd hand ChaCha recently.

Initial comments
  1. Memory for installing apps is insufficient, but after 2 factory data resets and deleting some apps, I have 26MB of internal storage left 
  2. Camera is not fantastic, but high auto ISO results in less blurry shots
  3. QWERTY keyboard is great, but needs a gentle touch compared with the Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro
  4. Sense UI is great. Used in conjunction with Launcher Pro, typing on the homescreen immediately starts a Google search for apps, settings, and other info. Also,  shortcuts at unlock screen mean one can quickly go to a app from the lock screen
  5. Battery life is not great, as expected from feedback seen in reviews

Monday, April 09, 2012

Bemoaning the disappearance of tactile controls in handphones

How can we get manufacturers to start making handphones with proper buttons again?

With the onslaught of touchscreen-only devices, buttons have been disappearing. Directional pads (D-pads), QWERTY keypads, dedicated function keys (e.g. camera shutter), even the most basic Home/Back/Menu and Call/End keys have gone away, to be replaced by touchscreen versions which are a pale shadow of their peers.

Saturday, March 03, 2012

Landmark 1st Drupal Camp in Singapore

Attended the 1st ever local Drupal Camp today. It was a great experience.

What is Drupal? It's a software that allows you to run a website. It's similar to Wordpress, but with more customisable options.

Even though I only downloaded a copy of Drupal to try out on my laptop a day earlier, the sessions were understandable and not too techy.

Attendees were friendly and I had several thoughtful discussions (both tech and non-tech topics). The speakers and topics were of sufficient variety, and the organisers (who were all volunteers) did a great job.

Will definitely encourage more people to try out Drupal :)

Thursday, February 23, 2012